The FAU Strategic Planning Steering Committee, which includes representation from the faculty, staff, students, administration and community, is pleased to present a draft of the Florida Atlantic University 2012-17 Strategic Plan and invites comments from all interested parties. Visit www.fau.edu/planning/feedback.

The celebration of FAU's 50th anniversary year will end on Dec. 31, 2011. After that date, the 50th anniversary logo should be removed from websites and email signatures, and new print publications should not display it. However, departments that have a remaining supply of stationery and other printed materials on hand that carry the 50th anniversary logo should go ahead and use these items during the early months of 2012 in order not to waste them. For information about anything related to the conclusion of the 50th anniversary year, please contact Lynn Laurenti at laurenti@fau.edu.

FAU's United Way Campaign is now underway and will run through Jan. 6. "The FAU community has a long history of giving wholehearted support to the United Way, which provides a wide variety of essential services to people in need," said President Mary Jane Saunders. "It is especially important for us to be as generous as we can during these difficult economic times, when so many of our friends and neighbors are struggling with financial, health and other challenges."

There are many ways to give, including payroll deduction. Gifts can be directed to the community care fund or to any of the long list of non-profit organizations that receive United Way funding. Campaign representatives from all of the University's colleges and divisions have been named, and are distributing informational materials. For more information, visit www.fau.edu/unitedway.

Faculty members must renew or return library books before Dec. 30. Books that are due on Dec. 30 cannot be renewed online after that date and must be brought to the library for renewal. Some books may have holds that prevent renewal and must be returned to the library on or before Dec. 30. Books can be returned on the Boca Raton campus to the library book drops at the Wimberly Library entrance and at the north and south ends of the Breezeway. The library book drops on the Jupiter campus are located between the parking lot and the administration building, in the library vestibule and at the Burrow. The book drops on the Treasure Coast campus are located at the library entrance. Overdue materials will incur a fine. Contact the library's Access Services Department at 561-297-6911 with questions or concerns.

Be aware of holiday phishing scams. Phishing is the act of tricking consumers into revealing information or performing actions they wouldn't normally do online using phony email or social media posts. Cyber scammers know that most people are busy around the holidays so they tailor their emails and social messages with holiday themes in the hopes of tricking recipients into revealing personal information.

A common holiday phishing scam is a phony notice from UPS saying you have a package and need to fill out an attached form to get it delivered. The form may ask for personal or financial details that will go straight into the hands of the cyber scammer.

Banking phishing scams continue to be popular and the holiday season means consumers will be spending more money -- and checking bank balances more often. From July to September of this year, McAfee Labs identified approximately 2,700 phishing URLs per day.

Smishing -- SMS phishing -- remains a concern. Scammers send their fake messages via a text alert to a phone, notifying an unsuspecting consumer that his bank account has been compromised. The cyber criminals then direct the consumer to call a phone number to get it reactivated -- and collects the user's personal information including Social Security number, address and account details.

Also, "Be Cyber Wiser" by doing three things before shopping online this holiday season: - Tune up your defenses: Before you shop online, make sure you have a security suite (firewall, anti-virus and anti-spyware) installed and updated with the most current information. Also, keep your operating system and Web browser up-to-date. - Check sellers out: Conduct independent research before you buy from a seller you have never done business with. Some attackers try to trick you by creating malicious Web sites that appear legitimate, so you should verify the site before supplying any information. Locate and note phone numbers and physical addresses of vendors in case there is a problem with your transaction or your bill. Search for merchant reviews. - Make sure the site is legitimate: Before you enter your personal and financial information to make an online transaction, look for signs that the site is secure. This includes a closed padlock on your Web browser's address bar or a URL address that begins with shttp or https. This indicates that the purchase is encrypted or secured. Never use unsecured wireless networks to make an online purchase.

FAU Today features a regularly updated section listing the accomplishments of University employees. Highlights from the past semester have just been added and can be accessed at the bottom of the right-hand column on the main FAU Today page. FAU faculty and staff members are invited to submit recent activities, accolades and honors -- such as fellowships and awards, conference presentations, election to officer positions in professional organizations or the publishing of a paper, chapter or book. The achievements should be job related, but from activities in which employees have participated outside the University -- no department committee work or other basic job duties. The one- or two-sentence blurbs should include your name, your department/college and a succinct description of the highlight. Send submissions to highlights@fau.edu.

Join Team FAU for the Race for the Cure on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012, in Downtown West Palm Beach -- you MUST register before Dec. 29 to be part of the FAU TEAM! - Can't be part of the race? You can still be a Pink Owl! Be a Team FAU spectator with Proud in the Crowd registration. - Not an early bird? Night Owls can also be Pink Owls with Sleep In for the Cure registration. - You can also be a Pink Owl through your generous donation on behalf of Team FAU. Go to the Team FAU page http://www.komensouthflorida.org/faf/search/searchTeamPart.asp?ievent=492061&team=4867765 to complete your registration or make a donation to become a Pink Owl. If you have questions about TEAM FAU, contact Jennifer Bebergal at bebergal@fau.edu.

You can also support the Team FAU Pink Owls through a new opportunity this year. In order to provide "Race for the Cure" t-shirts for Team FAU members, we are "selling" spots on the back of the team t-shirts for a minimum $25 donation. Celebrate a survivor or remember someone special in our FAU community. Choose between "(your name or department) races in celebration of (member of FAU community or family member)" or "(your name or department) races in memory of (member of FAU community or family member)." The deadline for securing a t-shirt spot is Dec. 15. Please contact Jennifer Bebergal (Bebergal@fau.edu; 561-297-2432) for more information.

Winter holidays are a time for families and friends to get together but that also means a greater risk for a fire. See the following links for some simple fire safety tips and information that will help keep electric lights, candles and the ever popular Christmas trees from creating a tragedy:

Environmental Health and Safety wishes the entire University community a happy and safe holiday season and encourages everyone to use the information provided to keep safe from the dangers of fire. Please contact Taff Geleta at 561-297-0030 if you have any question about fire safety.

You are invited to take the FAU Libraries' customer satisfaction survey (LibSat), which measures satisfaction in such areas as services, staff, facilities and policies. The survey will be available until Dec. 31, 2011 at http://fau.countingopinions.com. Your opinion matters. The survey's results will be used to make improvements.

To view a list of changes prompted by past LibSat surveys, click here. If you have questions, contact Darlene Parrish, Ph.D., university librarian, at parrish@fau.edu or Malka Schyndel, M.S.L.S., associate librarian, at schyndel@fau.edu.

Submit a proposal to present at the 2012 Teaching with Technology Showcase, which will be taking place on the Broward campuses for the first time, on Friday, Feb. 17, 2012, at the Davie campus. The event is sponsored by FAU Broward Administration, Office of Information Technology - Broward Computing Services (OIT-BCS), the Center for eLearning and the Center for Teaching and Learning.

FAU's Teaching with Technology Showcase opens a dialogue among faculty and community members about how to effectively use technology in the curriculum. By submitting a proposal, you will have the opportunity to present on the way in which technology is incorporated in your classes, discuss advantages and disadvantages of various technology and share teaching techniques that could enhance and improve learning.

The deadline for submitting proposals is Thursday, Dec. 15, 2011. Proposals are also being accepted from graduate students as well as academic support units who wish to participate in the dialogue generated by this gathering. The online application form is easy and only takes a few minutes, https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Teach-Tech.

For more information, contact Dr. Alberto Fernandez at alberto@fau.edu or 954-236-1205.

The Weppner Center for Civic Engagement and Service is recruiting interested faculty for two open Faculty Participant positions on our Alternative Spring Break trips March 4 to 9, 2012. The application is available at www.fau.edu/volunteer/ASB.php and is due by Monday, Dec. 19. We are looking for faculty who are passionate about service, interested in the site issues and themes, and willing to spend a week working alongside FAU students. Travel, lodging and meals will be provided for faculty selected to attend. Visit www.fau.edu/volunteer for trip descriptions and more info. Questions? Contact Maggie Wilson at mwils111@fau.edu.

The Boren Award for Study Abroad is also available for the 2012-13 Academic Year. Boren Awards provide a unique funding opportunity for U.S. students to study in world regions critical to U.S. interests (including Africa, Asia, Central & Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America, and the Middle East). The countries of Western Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand are excluded. The Boren Scholarships provide opportunities for undergraduate students to study in countries that are generally underrepresented in study abroad. Summer 2012 programs for STEM areas are also allowed. The FAU campus deadline for undergraduates is Jan. 11, 2012; after a campus review the final application must be sent by Feb. 9, 2012. The Boren Fellowships allow graduate students to add an important international and language component to their graduate studies. Graduate students apply directly and must submit their applications to arrive by Jan. 31, 2012. Information on all Boren awards can be found at www.borenawards.org.

For help, contact Dr. Catherine Meschievitz at FAU at 561-297-1039 or cmeschie@fau.edu.

The Writing Across the Curriculum program has scheduled two workshop sessions for the spring term. This two-day training seminar is intended for faculty, including adjuncts and graduate teaching assistants, who have not yet participated in a WAC seminar and are teaching, or plan to teach, WAC courses this academic year, and those who are planning or teaching courses in FAU's University Honors Program. The workshops will be held on the Boca Raton campus in SU 223 (video conferencing is available) on the following dates: Thursday, Jan. 12, from 2 to 4:30 p.m. and Thursday, Jan. 19, from 2 to 4:30 p.m. or Wednesday, Feb. 22, from 2 to 4:30 p.m. and Wednesday, Feb. 29, from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Contact Niki Wilson at nwilson3@fau.edu for more information and an application.

Registration begins today at 9 a.m. for the 2012 FAU Business Plan Competition, hosted by the Adams Center for Entrepreneurship and the College of Business. FAU students, alumni and members of the business community are invited to compete for a share of more than $200,000 in cash and prizes. For the first time, the competition will also include a high school track for juniors and seniors from local high schools to compete for a four-year scholarship to FAU. For more information and to register for the competition, visit www.business.fau.edu/bpc.

On Dec. 15 to 17 in the Ritter Gallery on the Boca Raton campus, the FAU Potters' Guild will hold a holiday show and sale. Hours are Thursday, Dec. 15, 5 to 8 p.m.; Friday, Dec. 16, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Saturday, Dec. 17, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 561-297-3870.

On Saturday, Dec. 17, at 7:30 p.m. in University Theatre on the Boca Raton campus, the popular Klezmer East ensemble is back. Enjoy favorites and exciting new works in this festive introduction to the holiday. This event is sold out.

The Friends of HBOI recently adopted a spoil island as a community project. On Thursday, Dec. 15, join in a morning boat cruise departing from the Johnson Ed Center at 10 a.m., returning at 1 p.m., with a lunch stop at the island. Bring your water gear. Cost $25. Please call 772-242-2559 before 12/12 to reserve your place.

Maestro Aaron Kula and the Klezmer Company Quintet will present "From Shtetl to 2nd Avenue," a performance-lecture based on music from Florida Atlantic University Libraries' Jewish sheet music collection, on Sunday, Dec. 18, at 3 p.m., in the fifth floor performance hall at the Wimberly Library on the Boca Raton campus. "Yiddishe Momma," "Greena Koseena," "Raisins and Almonds" and "Eishes Chayil" will be among the famous Jewish melodies and vintage Yiddish songs that will be performed. KCO will also perform several unique gems that Kula recently discovered in the Jewish sheet music collection.

The Jewish Cultural Society (JCS), a volunteer support organization whose mission is to advance Jewish cultural traditions and education at FAU Libraries through philanthropic endeavors and programs, is hosting the program. The cost is $25 for the general public, $20 for JCS members and $30 for two JCS family members. For tickets or for more information, contact dottiepierce@comcast.net at 561-852-9720.

Even though there won't be snow, Pine Jog Environmental Education Center's Winter Natureland Art Workshops offer the perfect opportunity to enjoy the creative side of winter. In between the art, we will get outside and explore the magic of nature at the beautiful Pine Jog preserve. Bring your winter spirit, but leave your snowshoes home! At the Pine Jog Environmental Education Center on Jan. 2 to 6 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (extended care hours available upon request) for young artists (grades K to 5). Cost is $40/day or $180/week. Contact Kids Need More Art at 561-339-1077 or email kidsneedmoreart@yahoo.com.

"A Tribute to the Artists of the Holocaust Seven Decades Later, A Survivor Remembers" will be held on Thursday, Jan. 5, from 1-5 p.m. in the Barry and Florence Friedberg Auditorium on the Boca Raton campus. Tickets for FAU Lifelong Learning Society members are $10, non-members $15. For more information, call 561-297-2410 or visit www.fau.edu/lls/jan5.

This special event honors the memory of Hungarian composer Samuel Blasz, as well as the memories of the countless victims of the Holocaust. Blasz was the chief cantor and a composer for the Temple in Eger, Hungary prior to the start of the Holocaust. He also composed music for the Council of Catholic Bishops. As Blasz fled his home at the start of World War II, he hid his compositions in the basement. While he did not live to the end of the war, his daughter, Eva Blasz Egri, survived and was able to return to the home and retrieve his works.

On Sunday, Jan. 22, at 3 p.m. in University Theatre on the Boca Raton campus, this collaboration between Robert deMaine, cello, and Heather Coltman, piano, continues for a third season and features works by Bach, Brahms, Delius and Schumann. Suggested $10 donation at the door. www.fau.edu/music.

FAU's professional ensemble-in-residence -- the Florida Wind Symphony with Kyle Prescott, conductor -- performs a special concert on Tuesday, Feb. 14, at 7 p.m. in University Theater on the Boca Raton campus. It will feature the remarkable voices of Dean Peterson, soloist with the Metropolitan Opera in New York and FAU alumnus, and Birgit Fioravante, acclaimed soprano of the Duelling Divas and the Opera Orchestra of New York. This concert will fill your heart with romantic favorites. Conductor Kyle Prescott invites you to an elegant reception available following the concert. Tickets $15, $35 including reception at 1-800-564-9539 or www.fauevents.com.

The four digital Living Room Theaters are located in the Culture and Society Building on the Boca Raton campus. Patrons can enjoy the European style cafe after 5 p.m. Show dates, times and ticket information can be found at http://fau.livingroomtheaters.com.

Get healthy with yoga. First class is FREE. Join any time. Spring classes start Jan. 3 and end May 4. Yoga exercises every muscle, nerve and gland in the body and releases stress and tension. Benefits include strength, flexibility and balance. The class is appropriate for every body type and fitness level. Classes are by the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing.

Classes are held Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12:10 to 1 p.m. in the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing Building, Room 115. Cost for faculty and staff is $70 for 8 classes, or $10 for 1 class. Cost for students is $40 for 8 classes, or $5 for 1 class. Cost for community members is $80 for 8 classes, or $12 for 1 class. Contact Kristine Lee at 561-297-0159 or klee26@fau.edu for additional information.

FAU is committed to the safety and well-being of all employees. In keeping with this commitment, the University has developed a return-to-work program for employees who sustain a workplace injury. This return-to-work program will provide modified duty and/or alternate duty assignments, where possible, that accommodate the functional restrictions and limitations as determined by the authorized treating physician, and will bring the employee back to work as quickly as medically possible. See all of the details about this program at www.fau.edu/hr/files/ReturnToWorkprogram.pdf.

The Weppner Center for Civic Engagement and Service (WCCES) in the Division of Student Affairs is compiling a list of on-campus volunteer opportunities for students. If there are departments that have a need for student volunteers, complete the Request Form for Volunteers found at www.fau.edu/volunteer under the Community tab on the left-hand side of the page. Questions? Contact Jheanelle Shepherd at 561-297-3607 or jshephe8@fau.edu.

Join friends, alumni and students of FAU on a trip to China. Many of you have been to Egypt, Italy, Greece and Eastern Europe with us, and now by popular demand, we have scheduled an introduction to China trip for March 1-9, 2012. Walk on the Great Wall, see the Olympic Village and visit landmarks including Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, the Terra Cotta Warriors, the Oriental Pearl Tower and more. The trip includes the best from Beijing, Xi'an and Shanghai with many extras.

The first 50 students with 50 volunteer service hours completed and submitted between Aug. 20, 2011, and Feb. 1, 2012, win exclusive SERVOLUTION prizes! Students should submit volunteer service hours by fax to 561-297-2563. For more information, view the guidelines at www.fau.edu/volunteer and click on Servolution.

"Mythica," an exhibition of paintings and sculpture by California artist Cheryl Tall, will be featured at the MacArthur Campus Library Gallery through Friday, Dec. 16. Tall's art is inspired by ancient art, travel, mythology, stone carvings, Etruscan ceramics and German expressionism paintings. The exhibition is free and can be viewed during library hours, which are Mondays through Thursdays from 8:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 12:30 to 1 p.m. For more information, call 561-799-8530 or visit www.library.fau.edu/npb/npb.htm.

"Chiura Obata - Ways of Art," an exhibition of paintings created between 1943 and 1945 by artist and educator Chiura Obata, will be on exhibition through Friday, Dec. 16, at the MacArthur Campus Library Gallery. The art is on loan from Marjorie J. McConnell, whose son, FAU professor Brian E. McConnell, curated the exhibition. The exhibition is free and can be viewed during library hours, which are Mondays through Thursdays from 8:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 12:30 to 1 p.m. For more information, call 561-799-8530 or visit www.library.fau.edu/npb/npb.htm.

"Courage Takes Flight: The Life and Times of Harold Glasser," an exhibition that highlights the life of Glasser, a decorated World War II bombardier and former Miss Universe, Inc. president, runs through Friday, Dec. 16, at the Wimberly Library on the Boca Raton campus. Among the display items are historic war photographs, Glasser's bombardier's jacket, his 12 combat decorations, intriguing documents, a Miss Universe crown he designed during his 27-year tenure as president, honorary keys to cities around the world and education records. The free exhibition is in room LY261, the display cases outside on the second floor east and in the Marvin and Sybil Weiner suite on the fifth floor. Hours are from 1 to 3 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and from 10 a.m. to noon on Tuesdays and Thursdays. For more information, contact special collections at 561-297-2693 or lysca@fau.edu.

The Wimberly Library is hosting "Conceptual Narrative: Mixed Media from the Chodorkoff Collection," an exhibition of contemporary fine art and crafts curated from its Drs. J. Rosmarin Chodorkoff and B. Chodorkoff Collection, through Tuesday, Jan. 31. The library-wide exhibition features an eclectic mix of glass, fiber, ceramics, painting, sculptures and prints from such established artists as Dale Chihuly, Ed Rossbach, William Morris and Clifford Rainey. "Site," a 30-inch high ceramic bust that was created as a self-portrait by John Woodward is among the pieces by emerging artists featured in the exhibition. Dr. Bernard Chodorkoff, a retired psychoanalyst/psychiatrist, and his wife Dr. Joan Rosmarin Chodorkoff, a retired clinical psychologist, donated their art to the Wimberly Library because they wanted their collection in an academic setting so that it could be seen by students as well as the general public. To complement the exhibition, selected artists' books from the library's Arthur and Mata Jaffe Center for Book Arts will be on display. The exhibition, which is free and open to the public, is displayed in the atrium lobby, on the second floor west outside of the administrative offices and in the Jaffe Center on third floor east. Viewing hours are available by calling 561-297-3770 or at www.library.fau.edu/geninfo/hours.htm.

The University Galleries present "Figured Spaces: Selections from the John Morrissey Collection," through Saturday, Feb. 11 in the Schmidt Center Gallery on the Boca Raton Campus. The exhibition features works by 12 artists selected from the collection of West Palm Beach attorney John Morrissey. All of the artists present the human figure in spaces or environments that convey a wide range of psychological states and evoke strong emotional responses. Co-curators Karen J. Leader, assistant professor of art history, and W. Rod Faulds, director of the University Galleries, selected the works. For more information, visit www.fau.edu/galleries or call 561-297-2966.

Each year, the Office of International Programs holds a photo competition and exhibit to celebrate and highlight the amazing moments captured by our students while studying abroad. An exhibition of the the entries will open Nov. 1 on First Floor West of the Wimberly Library on the Boca Raton campus. Reception recognizing this year's winners will be held on Nov. 17 from 3 to 4 p.m. at the exhibit. More information at www.fau.edu/goabroad/PhotoContest.php.

Are you currently taking an antidepressant and experiencing sexual side effects? Clinical Research Studies at the FAU Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine is conducting a clinical research study to better understand the effects of an investigational antidepressant medication on sexual functioning when compared with an approved medication. We are currently enrolling individuals who have well-treated depression with their current SSRI antidepressant, but are experiencing sexual side effects thought to be caused by their current antidepressant medication. For more information, call 561-297-0164. Eligible participants will receive payment for time and travel.

Older adults, 55-75 years of age and older, are wanted for the following study: "Relationship between Cognitive Function and Physical Activity Levels"

What are the requirements for participation? Good health and be able to make a one-time (brief) visit to the FAU Exercise Science Lab.

What will I do? Fill out a Physical Activity Questionnaire and perform a manual cognitive function test.

What can I expect to get out of my participation? You will gain an understanding of how physical fitness is related to cognitive health. You will also be given the option of having your body composition measured and given an exercise prescription, a $75 value.

The Language Development Lab, under the direction of Professor Erika Hoff, is conducting a federally funded study of early monolingual and bilingual development. We are looking for 24- to 30-month-old children who are learning Spanish at home and at least one parent was born in a Spanish-speaking country. For participating, you will receive $150 in gift cards and your child will get a gift and a t-shirt. With your permission, we will contact you again every 6 months until your child is 5 years old. We will pay for your time at each visit. If you complete this study through the age of 5 years, you will receive a total of $1,000 in gift cards.

We are also looking for 24- to 30-month-old children who are learning only English at home. For participating, you will receive $50 in gift cards and your child will get a gift and a t-shirt. With your permission, we will contact you again every 6 months until your child is 5 years old. We will pay you for your time at each visit. If you complete the study through the age of 5 years you will receive a total of $400 in gift cards. We plan to study children's language development from 2 years and 6 months to 5 years.

The purpose of these studies is to gain a better understanding of how language develops during this period. We will come to your home or you can come to our playroom on the Davie campus of Florida Atlantic University or to our office on the Boca Raton campus -- whichever is easier for you. If you are interested in this study, email langdevlab@fau.edu. You may also call 954-236-1142 or check out psy.fau.edu/~hoff/LangDevLab/index.htm for more information.

The Communication Disorders Clinic is located on the 4th floor of the College of Education building on the Boca Raton campus and provides speech, language and hearing diagnostic and therapy services -- including accent reduction therapy -- to children and adults. Services are available Monday through Friday during every semester on a space-available basis. Appointments for diagnostic or treatment services may be made by calling Maria at 561-297-2258. Payment can now be made by VISA or MasterCard.

The clinic offers Stroke Support and a Stuttering Support groups, each meeting once a month. Interested parties should contact the clinic for details. FAU faculty and staff members and their families receive a 50 percent discount for all services. Full-time FAU students receive a 50 percent discount for evaluations and then are charged $10 per treatment session.

The Communication Disorders Clinic is operated by FAU's Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders. For more information on clinic services, visit www.coe.fau.edu/csd/clinic.htm.

ACCOMMODATION FOR DISABILITY: Anyone who requires accommodation for a disability to attend any event at FAU is asked to get in touch with the contact person for the event at least four working days in advance.

Announcements of interest to faculty and staff are sent out twice weekly (on Mondays and Thursdays) by Marketingand Creative Services.

Admission is free unless otherwise indicated.

Please send announcements that you would like included to announcements@fau.edu at least two full business days before the desired date of publication -- submit items by the end of the business day on Wednesday for the items to run the following Monday and by the end of the business day on Monday for items to run the following Thursday. Please include links to websites that provide more detailed information when such links are available -- and always include a contact name and phone number or email for questions or more information. Information about events that are open to the public should be sent to faucal@fau.edu for inclusion in the Calendar of Events, which is accessible via a link on the FAU homepage.